In 2016, the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) initiated a grassroots community outreach program that connects PHPA Members with minor hockey players in their playing city, providing skill development on the ice along with a unique mentorship and support component off the ice.  Now known as the Meridian-PHPA Grow with the Pros! Mentor Program, it has become a much sought after event that expanded into three markets this season including Belleville, Rochester, and San Antonio, and has been embraced by all those who have been involved.

The program format for each event is similar.  Select PHPA Members serve as Mentor Instructors, running a one-hour, interactive on-ice skills development practice, followed by a press conference style Question and Answer discussion moderated by the PHPA which covers a range of topics.  Each event concludes with an official contract signing between the minor hockey player participants and the PHPA Player Mentors.

Meridian, whose shared values and commitment to growing the game at the grassroots level was a natural fit to become the program’s Presenting Partner.

The first GWTP Mentor Program event of the 2019-20 season took place on December 4^th at the CAA Arena in Belleville, Ontario, Canada where PHPA Player Representative Joseph Labate, along with Senators teammates Cole Cassels, and Andrew Sturtz led the Quinte Red Devils Peewee team through an exhilarating practice, followed by a guided tour of the Sens locker room and facilities, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a professional hockey player.

The off-ice component delved into the diverse background of the three Player Mentors.  Labate recounted his experience playing in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks. Cole Cassels spoke about winning the Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals in 2015 and what it was like growing up with a Dad (Andrew Cassels) who enjoyed a 16-year career in the NHL.  Andrew Sturtz detailed his unlikely hockey journey through the college ranks at Pennsylvania State University, including how close he came to leaving the game years ago.  These experiences, combined with training and nutrition advice, the importance of gaining an education, and maintaining a positive outlook in the face of adversity were just some of the topics discussed during the interactive off-ice session.

“You could hear a pin drop when Andrew was telling his story,” said one parent.  “The stories the players told about how they reached the professional level and the advice they provided to the kids was amazing.  You can’t really get that anywhere else.  This was an experience these players will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The second Grow with the Pros event of the season took place on February 26, 2020 in Rochester, NY, and the first time the program had ever been hosted in the US. 

Before the program officially began, the local minor hockey players were given exclusive access to watch the Amerks practice.  Rochester Americans’ PHPA Player Representative Nathan Paetsch, along with teammates Casey Fitzgerald and Jarrett Burton served as the Player Mentor Instructors for the event.

During the off-ice portion, Paetsch, who is also a member of the PHPA Executive Committee, discussed his journey to the NHL and the experiences he gained over 900 pro games, including being part of two Calder Cup Championship teams with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013 and 2017.  Casey Fitzgerald, the son of former NHL player and current New Jersey Devils General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald, spoke about the many lessons he learned over the years from his Father which helped enable him to advance his hockey career.  Jarrett Burton had the unique distinction of being the recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins the season prior despite being a forward, and spoke about the importance of teamwork and playing a complete game among other things.

The third and final program event of the season took place on March 4^th, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas shortly before the hockey season was put on pause.

San Antonio Rampage Player Representative, Evan Polei, along with teammates Adam Wilcox, Jake Walman, and Josh Wesley led a group of nearly 40 Junior Rampage players who earned the opportunity to participate in the program through their fundraising and community efforts during the season.  The Player Mentors were also joined on the ice by Rampage Head Coach Drew Bannister and mascot T-Bone.  

During the off-ice session, Polei became emotional when recounting the adversity he was experiencing due to a potentially career threatening injury.  It was a true demonstration of how much the game has meant to him, and the importance of preparing for a post hockey career while being a model citizen in the community.  

Polei found the program to be a worthwhile and rewarding experience.

“I think the program is great. I love seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces and you get to interact with the kids on a personal level. When you have a smaller group of kids you can just laugh around and play. They can come out on the ice and see what types of drills that we go through and see what type of skills that they have to work on. Simple skills like picking pucks up off the boards and stuff like that. It teaches them how to play properly. It’s a great experience for them. They look up to us and I think that they take a lot away from it. We have a lot of good conversations with the parents too and they appreciate us taking time out of our days to have fun with their kids on the ice. It’s a great program and I hope it continues to excel in the future.”

With the program positioned to continue and expand into more markets next season, the PHPA looks forward to mentoring and educating the next wave of professional hockey players both on and off the ice, while providing a platform for current PHPA Members to take on a prominent leadership role at the grassroots level.